Not all churches have a day or service dedicated to Ash Wednesday, but many denominations do recognize this day on the holy calendar of events for that year, and prayer is an important part of the day.
Prayer is a vital part of Ash Wednesday observance because it serves as a means of spiritual reflection, repentance, and communion with God. On Ash Wednesday, Christians are called to reflect on their mortality and sinfulness, acknowledging their need for God's mercy and forgiveness. Through prayer, we can express sorrow for our sins, seek guidance and strength for the 40-day period of Lent, and renew our commitment to living lives of faithfulness and obedience to God.
Prayer is an essential aspect of Ash Wednesday observance, helping us to prepare our hearts for the spiritual journey ahead during Lent and to experience the transformative power of God's love and mercy.
Ash Wednesday kicks off the start of the Lent season right after Shrove Tuesday. During this time of reflection, Christians will often fast and pray. This fasting might look like giving up meat, sweets, or technology. Others imitate Jesus during his 40 days in the desert and refrain from eating at all. The Ash Wednesday prayer is a beautiful start to the Lent season of reflection.
The somber Lent season not only reminds us of Jesus’ encounter with the devil in the desert and how Jesus resisted temptation (Matthew 4), but it also leads up to Holy Week and the events of Good Friday and Easter Sunday. We wait in anticipation for both. Usually, in addition to receiving an ash cross on our forehead, services also have an Ash Wednesday prayer. Prayer is integral to the act of receiving ashes on Ash Wednesday. As the ashes are applied to the forehead in the shape of a cross, worshippers often hear the words, "Ashes to ashes, dust to dust. Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return" or "Repent and believe in the Gospel." These words serve as a solemn reminder of our mortality and the need for repentance, prompting individuals to turn their hearts toward God in prayer.
Whether you, as a pastor, need ideas for the prayer, or you, as a laity, want to pray with your family before or after the Ash Wednesday service, we’ve included an example below. Most often, Ash Wednesday prayers remind us that we are but dust, and to dust, we will return (Genesis 3:19).
This holiday helps us to remember that we cannot earn our own salvation but that God allows us to come into a relationship with him after he dies on the cross and resurrects. Let’s explore what this holiday means and how we can pray for a renewing of the mind during the Lent season.
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During this time of reflection and repentance, we may not know the right words to say when in the presence of a holy God who paid the penalty for our sins. We have a sample prayer below, but please feel free to deviate from it based on how the Spirit leads:
Heavenly Father, during this time of reflection I remember how you lived the life I ought to have lived. You showed us how to resist temptation during your time in the desert, and through the life you led here on earth. As this Lent season begins, remind me that I am but dust. I can do nothing without you. Help me to see the world through the eyes of those in the first Lent season, who awaited a Savior and awaited new life through you. Thank you for your sacrifice on the cross, and as I refrain from [fill in the blank, for what you choose to give up for Lent] help me to use that time I would spend on [fill in the blank item] to pray, reflect, and thank you. Amen.
Almighty and everlasting God, you hate nothing you have made and forgive the sins of all who are penitent: Create and make in us new and contrite hearts, that we, worthily lamenting our sins and acknowledging our wretchedness, may obtain of you, the God of all mercy, perfect remission and forgiveness; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Almighty and everlasting God, you hate nothing you have made and forgive the sins of all who are penitent: Create and make in us new and contrite hearts, that we, worthily lamenting our sins and acknowledging our wretchedness, may obtain of you, the God of all mercy, perfect remission and forgiveness; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Lord, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.
For our failure to acknowledge you in creation: Lord, have mercy.
For our failure to recognize you in our neighbor: Lord, have mercy.
For our failure to know you in the stranger: Lord, have mercy.
Have mercy upon me, O God, According to Your lovingkindness; According to the multitude of Your tender mercies, Blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, And cleanse me from my sin. For I acknowledge my transgressions, And my sin is always before me. Against You, You only, have I sinned, And done this evil in Your sight-- That You may be found just when You speak, And blameless when You judge. Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, And in sin my mother conceived me. 6 Behold, You desire truth in the inward parts, And in the hidden part You will make me to know wisdom.
Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Make me hear joy and gladness, That the bones You have broken may rejoice. Hide Your face from my sins, And blot out all my iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me away from Your presence, And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, And uphold me by Your generous Spirit. Then I will teach transgressors Your ways, And sinners shall be converted to You.
Deliver me from the guilt of bloodshed, O God, The God of my salvation, And my tongue shall sing aloud of Your righteousness. O Lord, open my lips, And my mouth shall show forth Your praise. For You do not desire sacrifice, or else I would give it; You do not delight in burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, A broken and a contrite heart-- These, O God, You will not despise. - Psalm 51
Almighty and everlasting God, you hate nothing you have made and forgive the sins of all who are penitent: Create and make in us new and contrite hearts, that we, worthily lamenting our sins and acknowledging our wretchedness, may obtain of you, the God of all mercy, perfect remission and forgiveness; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen.
Almighty God, you have created us out of the dust of the earth: Grant that these ashes may be to us a sign of our mortality and penitence, that we may remember that it is only by your gracious gift that we are given everlasting life; through Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen. (provided by the Book of Common Prayer)
Most church services follow the same format for this holiday. Palm leaves from Palm Sunday in the previous year's service are burnt for the ashes that the clergy place upon the foreheads of the congregation.
When the pastor or another church official marks a person's forehead with a cross, they often will say something along the lines of, “For you are dust, and to dust you shall return.”
The service will often read from a passage of Scripture, either from Isaiah or Joel, or some churches will read one of the Gospel accounts of when the devil tempted Jesus. Often, the sermon or homily will contain some call to repentance and reflection, as is the motif of the Lent season.
Not all Christians participate in Ash Wednesday within their churches. Some do something similar within their homes, and some churches also offer “ashes to go.”
The Roman Catholic Church does not alone participate in any Ash Wednesday traditions. Many other denominations and Christians will either have an ash service at church or will do something on this day to commence the sobering Lent season.
Read more about the meaning and history of Ash Wednesday.
Ash Wednesday changes its date based on the calendar year. As you guessed by the name, it occurs on a Wednesday and always happens right after Mardi Gras (or “Fat Tuesday,” “Shrove Tuesday”).
In 2024, Ash Wednesday occurs on February 14th. Learn more at When is Ash Wednesday?
If you are unsure when the holiday will occur during your calendar year, check your calendar to find out when Mardi Gras will happen. The day after Shrove Tuesday, Ash Wednesday follows. But churches often keep the congregation in the loop about holidays in the holy calendar, even if they do not have a specific service dedicated to it.
Now that we’ve established when the holiday happens, let’s explore the biblical origins of this event.
We can find many places in the Bible that have a major influence on Ash Wednesday. As mentioned before, the “to the dust you shall return” from Genesis 3:19 plays a big role. In Genesis 3, the first sin happened. Eve ate from the Tree of Knowledge, and Adam passively allowed her to do so. After this occurs, God reminds them that sin has a consequence: death. And this sin has passed on from generation to generation. Death follows us. But thankfully, God offers us a chance at a new life.
We can also point to many instances in Scripture where people would pour dust or ashes over their heads as a sign of mourning or repentance:
Revelation 18:19: “And they threw dust on their heads and were crying out, weeping and mourning, saying, ‘Woe, woe, the great city, in which all who had ships at sea became rich by her wealth, for in one hour she has been laid waste!’”
2 Samuel 1:2: “On the third day, behold, a man came out of the camp from Saul, with his clothes torn and dust on his head. And it came about when he came to David that he fell to the ground and prostrated himself.”
Joshua 7:6: “Then Joshua tore his clothes and fell to the earth on his face before the ark of the Lord until the evening, both he and the elders of Israel; and they put dust on their heads.”
Lamentations 2:10: “The elders of the daughter of Zion Sit on the ground, they are silent. They have thrown dust on their heads; They have girded themselves with sackcloth. The virgins of Jerusalem Have bowed their heads to the ground.”
As Christians, we recognize that our sin has formed a chasm between ourselves and God, and we have no way of bridging that gap on our own.
Of course, as mentioned above, Jesus’ time in the desert also marks an important part of Ash Wednesday and the 40 days of Lent that follow. During his time in the wilderness, he refrained from eating for 40 days. The devil came to taunt him and tempt him on three separate occasions, but Jesus rebuked him every time.
We can also point to Ezekiel 9:4 as another verse that influenced this holiday. “Go throughout the city of Jerusalem and put a mark on the foreheads of those who grieve and lament over all the detestable things that are done in it.”
Doesn’t a mark on the forehead sound familiar?
We could continue to point out the many parallels between Scripture and Ash Wednesday. Although we don’t have records of the first Ash Wednesday observances until the 11th century, we know that they pulled everything directly from Scripture. Many worship songs and hymns do this as well.
Further Reading:
Ash Wednesday Scriptures and Bible Verses
Lent Prayers for the Lenten Season
At Easter, the Son of God took on the world’s sin and defeated the devil, death, and grave. How is it, then, that history’s most glorious moment is surrounded by fearful fishermen, despised tax collectors, marginalized women, feeble politicians, and traitorous friends?
In The Characters of Easter, you’ll become acquainted with the unlikely collection of ordinary people who witnessed the miracle of Christ’s death and resurrection. This FREE podcast provides a fresh approach to the Lenten season and can be used as a devotional or study for both individuals and groups.
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